


Escape

by Cruadal



Series: Snapshots [70]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe, Children, Deviates From Canon, Drama, Family, Gen, Mild Angst, Mild Language, Modern Era, Original Character(s), Post-Canon, Roleplay Logs, Slice of Life, Unfinished
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-09
Updated: 2018-03-09
Packaged: 2019-03-29 04:08:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13919067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cruadal/pseuds/Cruadal
Summary: Ray had hoped that the bracelet that bound her friend's Darkness would have lasted a lot longer than this.





	Escape

**Author's Note:**

> I'm still unfortunately stuck on the current chapter, so I decided to lay more groundwork for the bracelet that Kai'll be 'borrowing'. There are four in a set, all roleplay logs. This one is unfinished, but gets the point across.

** Snapshot #70 **

Ages: Amy - 35 (approx.), Jalen - 34 (approx.), Eli - 2, Ray - ? (Young and immortal forever. J/K Ray) 

  


  


It really had been too long since Ray had actually hung out with any of the Refugees - barring Ari, of course, who was still keeping an eye on their ship. Most of her time of late had been dedicated to finding and recruiting the most trustworthy bunch of pirates for their fleet either of the captains could find, which was not an easy task, to say the least. It felt good seeing familiar, friendly - not to mention _clean_ \- faces again. Luckily enough, catching up was relatively easy, given their history.  
  
She'd spent a lot of time around Rainbow's End and Radiant Garden in general since Christmastime, and Jalen's latest post had made that more of a necessity than Ray had planned. It honestly felt _weird_ being surrounded by so many kids, and she would _never_ get used to it, she could swear. Maybe when they got older, but now? It was just strange, but it was probably a good thing she'd be around Eli a little more than usual. It was good to know your protege before you took them on, right?  
  
Still... the whole situation left a sour taste in her mouth. Half-lying about why she was hanging around for so long - she really did miss everyone, ulterior motives aside - _completely_ lying about the purpose of that bracelet to everyone, using barrier magic against Amy's darker half without her knowledge or permission... Hell, for all she'd known, the magic could have gone horribly wrong. It _was_ just experimental, after all. Who's to say it wouldn't have locked _Amy_ up just as quickly as it would Awiergan? Sure, the enchanter had assured her that it would either work against the intended target or not at all, but... It was a gamble, and a shitty risk to take, at that. And who was Ray to decide whether to take that chance with another person's life and heart?  
  
But she had, and they were just lucky that so far, it was working.  
  
That was the theory, at least. The enchantment could wear off any time, and they had to be prepared for it. In the meantime, it was Ray's job to keep an eye on Amy, and see if the bracelet really had anything to do with her friend's recent... distraction. If it did... Well, it probably wasn't good news, and that meant Ray would have to stick closer than ever, just in case. She hadn't spotted anything that looked particularly dangerous in Amy's heart through her contacts just yet, but it never hurt to be prepared.  
  
  
  
  
Amy had gotten up bright and early, as usual. She'd woken Eli and managed to partially dress him (You try chasing after a two year old that refuses to wear the Moogle-print pants), before handing him off to his father to finish the job. She'd fully intended to retrieve him afterward and take him down to breakfast, but instead found herself outside in the courtyard in the chill morning air, sitting next to the fountain. Part of her mind was occupied with the thought that she really needed to go back inside, she'd promised to make Eli a chocolate pancake, but the rest of it...Well, she wasn't sure.  
  
It wasn't like she seemed to be thinking about anything in particular; she just kept drifting from one half-formed thought to another. If she'd been able to focus on it, she would have found it similar to someone rifling through a filing cabinet, looking for something. She was wearing Ray's gift, as she had since she'd received it for Christmas, with one hand absently tugging at the key charm. For a moment she seemed to realize she was doing it and stopped, glancing down at her still hand.   
  
"What's so important?"  
  
The question wasn't so much addressed to herself as to Awiergan, maybe. That was another thing. The Brat had been so quiet lately, and Amy was grateful for it, she really was. It was just- well, when Awiergan was quiet she was dangerous, and that meant Amy should be on the lookout...but somehow she couldn't bring herself to give much of a damn about it. That wasn't right, but at the same time, she wasn't worried.  
  
Amy looked away from the bracelet and back at the house. She needed to go back inside before someone came out, asking what was wrong. She felt an irrational surge of irritation at that. Couldn't even be alone to think without someone bothering her and asking if she was all right. Especially Jalen. They'd been married for over two years, you'd think he'd know when to just leave her  _alone_ -  
  
She shook her head suddenly and stood. Breakfast. Eli. A chocolate pancake for Eli. She could do that.  
  
  
  
  
Ray trudged into the kitchen at Rainbow's End, flopping down into the first open chair she got to. True to form, she'd woken up at an early enough time without a trace of grogginess. Now, a few hours later, she felt nothing  _but_  grogginess. She leaned back in the chair with a sigh, closing her eyes and letting her head fall onto the back of the chair.  
  
"I don't know how you guys aren't sick of me yet," she said to no one in particular. "I've practically been living here since I got back. But it's just too damn  _quiet_  at my place without Rox around..." Speaking of, she still had no idea where her roommate had vanished to. Earth was a safe assumption, but it would probably be worth looking into.  
  
Her eyes slid open to form two slits, and she looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully. "It also helps that you guys actually have food here." A pause. "I really need to go shopping if I'm gonna be here for a while."  
  
With another sigh, Ray pushed herself back up to her feet to go fish in the refrigerator for some milk. Breakfast of champions, that. That acquired, she eyed Amy, noting the... odd mood that she seemed to be in. "Whatcha making for breakfast? Maybe I can make myself useful."  
  
  
  
  
Jalen glanced over at Ray from where he was trying to keep Eli amused in his high chair while his mother fiddled with his breakfast, and half-grinned.  
  
"Sick of the one that tracks down errant husbands and threatens them? Never."  
  
Eli waved his plastic fork before banging it on the tray, nodding. "Never never!"  
  
Amy had gotten the mixing bowl out, and the skillet, but seemed to have lost her train of thought somewhere while digging through the cupboard for ingredients. At Ray's question she glanced back, frowning.  
  
"What? Sorry, I wasn't...listening."  
  
"Pancaaaaake!" Eli declared, banging his fork again before Jalen stopped him.  
  
  
  
  
Ray quirked an eyebrow at Amy, smiling faintly. "Still out of it, huh? I asked if you wanted any help making breakfast."  
  
Something sparked in her eye then, barely noticeable to most people, that could easily have been passed off as a reflection from the light. In truth, it was a very small flash of magic to activate the spell infused in the set of contacts Ray had bought at her first Star Market - a spell that let her see into the hearts of those around her. Very few had been told about them, because... well, why  _should_  she tell anyone? They were originally intended to spot Nobodies or the Dark-Hearted as a form of self-defense, and even during the War of Hearts she'd rarely used them that way. But lately, they'd become useful again, with the present threat of enemies sharing hearts with allies, like with Amy and Awiergan. Ray had been subtly watching everyone around her since this new brand of craziness began, but now was a much more personal matter.  
  
Jalen had been right. Something  _was_  getting to her, and it may very well be that bracelet. More accurately, it may be Awiergan breaking out of the enchantment. Ray hadn't checked on the state of Amy's heart for a few days; it was time to take a look. So that was exactly what she did as she waited for a reply from her friend, still smiling.  
  
  
  
  
"Oh...yeah! Could you maybe measure out some milk for the pancakes? About a cup, I think."  
  
Amy returned the smile, blushing faintly. "I dunno what's wrong with me lately, maybe all the excitement of my Ladybug turning two is catching up."  
  
She grabbed a bag of chocolate chips out of the cupboard along with the flour before putting them on the island and grinning over at Jalen.  
  
"Maybe I've been distracted with the thought of finally getting what I want out of my husband~"  
  
Jalen snorted, handing Eli his sippy cup. "You get nothing, I never agreed to it. Ray, tell her that waiting until Eli's four to have another baby is a  _much_  better idea." Wow, now Ray'd be wondering if  _he_  was well; dragging the personal stuff out into the open wasn't like him, but maybe someone else could convince her.  
  
Amy's only response was an eyeroll as she went back to cooking. She'd get her way one way or another, just wait. There was a sudden urge to throw the mixing bowl at his head, but it passed so quickly she dismissed it.  
  
  
  
  
"A year or two makes all the difference to the young," Ray said sagely, deliberately smiling wider as turned away to retrieve the milk from the fridge. Fake smiles weren't exactly her specialty; it was better for her to turn away than to show one for long. She tried not to let it fade too soon, however. There was still plenty to be cheerful about, with the kid's birthday.  
  
Ray raised an eyebrow, and while none of them would see it with her back turned to measure, a tone of amused perplexity could be heard in her voice. "And I do have to back up Jalen on that. It ought to be much easier for the two of you if you wait a bit." When she turned back, she gave a quick, pointed look to Amy's husband before handing off the milk. "Here you go. Need anything else?"  
  
  
  
  
"Well, you know me. Patience was never my strong suit." Amy snickered as she dumped the milk into the bowl. "At least it hasn't been for ages. Stupid Toys R Us."  
  
Jalen caught Ray's look, frowning before glancing back at his wife. Amy was calmly mixing the ingredients with a thoughtful look on her face. After a second she looked up and smiled at him before answering Ray's question.  
  
"Naw, I think I have everything else. Though you could always-"  
  
She'd been about to say 'You could always babysit your Grasshopper if we had another rugrat', but the thought came to a screeching halt. It was replaced with a sudden sick feeling, as if someone had just pulled the floor out from underneath her.   
  
_I have_ _ **had**_ _it. How dare they try this shit with me!_  
  
The sick feeling intensified, and Amy found herself focusing on the bracelet. Suddenly she  _knew_  what it was for, what it had been doing all along. Binding Awiergan...how could she have been so stupid? How could she not have realized that was why her darkness had been so quiet? And Ray hadn't even told her...  
  
The nausea was replaced with a swell of anger, and to her surprise (and Awiergan's relief, though she'd never admit it), the bracelet shattered. Most of it fell in pieces onto the counter with a metallic tinkling sound, although some dropped onto the floor.  
  
_Time for you to get out of my way._  
  
Awiergan slammed a mental door on her Other, and gasped in mock horror at the fragments of the bracelet on the counter. About damn time.  
  
"Oh god- Ray, I'm sorry, I don't know what happened-"  
  
She dropped the whisk into the bowl and pushed it away, scrambling to pick up the pieces.   
  
  
  
  
And there it was. The change was so sudden that Ray was taken by surprise and left gaping at the broken bracelet - and Amy's heart, from the corner of her eye. Where there had been so much Light with just a touch of the Darkness, now there was nothing  _but_  Darkness, Amy's Light tucked away into a small corner. And she hadn't seen the anger, the betrayal that had shown on Amy's face before she'd been overcome, either. A wave of guilt crashed over her. After a second, she managed to shake herself out of it and rushed forward to help find the pieces.  
  
"Oh my god," she breathed, voice laced with sorrow and just enough anger showing to pass as indignation. "I'm so sorry, Amy; I can't believe this happened! I'll replace it, and this time it'll be better, I promise. Man, that merchant was supposed to be  _good,_ " she complained. "I can't believe it just... fell apart like that!"  
  
The pieces all gathered, Ray stood and stared at the little pile they'd been placed in on the counter in disdain. Honestly, the bracelet, er,  _shattering_  had come as a surprise, even if she'd known Awiergan would make her way out sometime. But to break the enchantment and its focus so  _completely_  meant that the dark halves of the Refugees were stronger than Ray and the merchant in Wanderer's Refuge had been prepared for. They'd have to take this into heavy consideration when she went back, and she also made a mental note to bring this up to Master Yen Sid at the next opportunity. If anyone would have suggestions on how to combat this, he would.  
  
But for now, they'd have to deal with walking on eggshells. Awiergan probably knew that Ray was aware of her presence, since the spell broke. But what she didn't have to know was that Jalen was in the loop as well, or that they were preparing to take more measures against her. Those would remain secrets until the time came.  
  
Let Awiergan think about how she got locked away. Let her be angry and seek revenge against Ray. It wouldn't stop anything. Not as long as anyone knew Awiergan was there. Dealing with Amy's feelings would have to come later, as much as Ray hated leaving it like that. Now, with everything that had happened this morning, Ray would have to leave as soon as she could without looking suspicious. She'd have to have a talk with Jalen before going, of course, but after that... He'd be able to handle things here.  
  
"Well," she said quietly, with a sad smile, "we still owe the kid a pancake, huh? A broken bracelet doesn't excuse the adults from a responsibility like that. I will get you a new one, though. Really."  
  
  
  
  
"It's okay, really."   
  
Awiergan let her fingers run over the bits a little, as if she was sad to see her Shiny in such a state. Nothing could be further from the truth. She glanced up at Jalen, who was now half out of his chair, then over to Eli, who was staring at her with a surprised look on his face.  
  
Damn.  
  
"Jale, can you finish this? Make sure nothing fell in the bowl, I don't want Ladybug swallowing metal bits."  
  
She quickly moved over to Eli ( **her son** ) and scooped him out of his high chair, cuddling him as she talked in a low nonsensical babble to him. Distract him until she could get out of the room, she didn't need Eli airing his discovery.  
  
Jalen frowned as he stood fully, then appeared to be about to protest. A second later he shook his head and went to the island.  
  
"All right. Are you-"  
  
But he didn't get a chance to finish, because Awiergan muttered something about 'needs his diaper changed' and swept out of the room. Jalen shot a dark look at Ray.  
  
" _Now_  what?"  
  
  
  
  
"Now... You make your son his pancake. Then we bring her back," she replied softly, refusing to move her eyes from the pile. She didn't want to face Jalen or any accusations just yet. Later. Right now, the guilt was weighing down on her and all Ray wanted to do was get moving to fix the mess she'd made.  
  
Pushing herself away from the counter with a resigned sigh, she turned to him. "I'll be more useful elsewhere, so I'm going to be heading out soon. I know you'll keep your eye on her while I'm gone, and I'll come back the second you need me. Doubt she'll do anything for a while, though. Not while she's still pretending to be Amy." She bit her lip, looking hesitantly in the direction that Awiergan had gone. "...I should probably check on her, now that I think about it. Or you. One of us."  
  
After a moment, she added, "We should probably tell Mabry, too. She deserves a heads up. Her house, you know. But be careful about it if you do. We don't want her to go and tell Song and alert Medrau, just in case Awiergan doesn't."  
  
That was all. There was nothing more to be said, nothing more to  _do_ , really, except for two things. One: work hard and fast to rectify this. And two...  
  
"...I'm sorry."  
  
  
  
  
Jalen studied the half-stirred mix in silence while Ray talked, then looked up as she suggested someone go after his wife- no, Awiergan.  
  
Yes, someone should, but it wasn't going to be him. Not right now. He nodded when Ray mentioned Mabry, but whether he was actually going to tell her right away...he wasn't sure.  
  
"Would you go after- I can't-"  
  
Jalen frowned and shook his head in disgust at himself. Now was not the time for this. He could be depressed later.  
  
"I'll get Eli's pancake done. She probably just took him into the playroom, there's a changing table in there. If he really needed a diaper change, anyway."  
  
Quickly, he reached out and hugged Ray, just for a second. A bit uncharacteristic of him, but she  _was_  his friend.  
  
"I'm not mad at you. You were only trying to help." Jalen stepped back and picked up the mixing bowl. Might as well start over with this.  
  
  
  
  
Ray nodded. She'd go talk to Awiergan, maybe fake worrying over the bracelet and hoping not to see her friend too broken up over it or something. She  _should_  go, anyway. This was her mess.  
  
She stiffened at the hug. It wasn't what she had expected, from Jalen or anyone in this situation, but... "Yeah," she whispered. "Thank you."   
  
Taking a deep breath to steel herself for more lies and acting - really, she was getting sick of lying and sneaking around, but it wouldn't exactly benefit to advertise her plans to her enemies, right? - Ray went into the other room, following after Awiergan.  
  
"Amy? You okay? You ran away pretty fast after your bracelet fell apart... I really am sorry about that, you know," she insisted, her face filled with concern for her friend.  
  
  
  
  
In the short time that she'd been gone, Awiergan had managed to not only walk to the playroom and deposit Eli on the changing table, but get his Moogle-print pants at least halfway off in her attempt to change his diaper. The kid  _had_  actually needed it, though she supposed it could have waited just a little...long enough for her to take him and scurry off to a hidey-hole somewhere. But no, she was pretending to be an empathic sap, so here she stayed. For now.  
  
"Eli, quit squirming-"   
  
She frowned as she heard Ray, rolling her eyes. Oh, here we go. She traded the frown for a slightly sad - and definitely distracted - expression as she glanced over her shoulder at her 'friend'.  
  
"Yeah, fine, he just needed a- What has your father been  _feeding_  you?"  
  
Okay, that last part wasn't an act. She made a grab for the wipes while wrinkling her nose as Eli giggled. For the love of-  
  
  
  
  
"Ah. You just bailed so quickly, Jalen and I figured one of us should make sure nothing's wrong. And since I don't cook, he - aw, man, that is  _toxic!_ " Ray complained, wrinkling her nose and backing away. "See, this is why I don't hang around kids for long. They'll kill you with that smell. But uh, yeah," she continued, moving back another step, "Jalen's got the pancake thing covered. Not that that little bugger needs it if the stink is any indication..."  
  
This was good, though. She was apparently pretending to be Amy, she hadn't run off already, and that meant Eli would be safe for now. That didn't mean they could afford to waste time, however, because Awiergan could still take off at any moment. Jalen would have to keep a sharp eye out after Ray left, just in case.  
  
  
  
  
"Kid's got potential otherwise." Awiergan muttered under her breath. She continued, loud enough for Ray to hear, "Maybe he should leave out the chocolate chips..."  
  
She set about cleaning Eli up in a hurry, while the toddler lay on his back grinning and waving at Ray whenever she came into view.  
  
"You know, about the bracelet, you really don't have to replace it. I mean, it's not a big deal. Well, it  _is_  a big deal, I loved the thing, but-"   
  
She shrugged, tossing the old diaper in the nearby bin and wiping her hands before grabbing a new one. Amy  _had_  loved it, but if Awiergan ever saw a replacement, it was going to find itself 'accidentally' flushed down a toilet.   
  
  
  



End file.
